Pau v Connacht
Sunday, Stade du Hameau, 5.30pm Irish time
Connacht will be reeling in the years on Sunday when they return to France for a meeting with Pau in the EPCR’s Challenge Cup knockout round of 16.
While France has been a happy hunting ground for Connacht in previous European challenges, Pau is one French club that delivered a hard-fought 10-6 win over the Irish province in 2003/04.
On that occasion Connacht prevailed on aggregate, having won at home by 29-7, and that was the season they advanced to the semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Harlequins by a four-point aggregate deficit.
Connacht, having dropped from the Champions Cup, will welcome another opportunity to contest the latter stages of a European tournament, and they head to the Pyrenean town armed with their internationals in a bid to deliver a much-cherished victory on the European stage.
They are boosted by the return of some of their heavy hitters, none more so than internationals Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham.
And as a sign that head coach Peter Wilkins is aiming for the quarter-finals, he has named a hugely experienced starting XV that have played in total some 1,743 games, led by veteran Denis Buckley with 244 Connacht caps, fullback Tiernan O’Halloran (233), Jack Carty (208), Bealham (197), Dave Heffernan (193), Aki (132), and Jarrad Butler (124).
Wilkins has made no secret of his ambitions in this year’s competition, and the selected team reflects that stance.
“We’re incredibly excited about this weekend and the prospect of coming up against a strong Pau side in the Challenge Cup,” says.
“It’s a competition that we want to go far in, and that’s reflected in the squad selected for Sunday. There’s a huge amount of experience there, and having Bundee and Finlay back is a big boost too. I’m confident from what I’ve seen in training and with the squad we’ve named that they’ll deliver a big performance.”
Wilkins has also handed talented winger Shane Jennings his first start, having made eight appearances off the bench, with Shayne Bolton on the right wing.
David Hawkshaw partners Aki in the centre, with the experienced duo of Jack Carty and Caolin Blade paired at halfback. Up front it is an eight of the tried and tested with Buckley, Heffernan and Bealham enjoying some 630 appearances among them.
Pau, like most French outfits, concentrate their efforts on the Top 14, where they currently lie sixth with a decent record of seven wins from 12 games.
Their ambition is exemplified by the recruitment of former All Blacks, the Whitelock brothers, Sam and Luke – the former All Blacks’ all-time record appearance holder with 153, announced his retirement from the game this week – but neither are included in the 23-man squad.
However, it is expected Pau will look to their pack, which delivers 89 per cent lineout success, to deliver possession, and with the highest tackle success rate at 92 cent to date, they will seek to blunt Connacht’s attack.
The selected 15 includes a host of non-French players, including English halfback pairing, outhalf Joe Simmonds and scrumhalf Dan Robson, Australian fullback Jack Maddocks, Tongan props Fisi’ihoi and Siate Tokolahi, and a Fijian winger and lock, Aminiasi Tuimaba and Lekima Tagitavivalu.
In contract news this week, Jordan Duggan has extended his deal at Connacht for another two years. Duggan, who made his debut in August 2020 in the post-Covid fixture against Ulster at the Aviva Stadium, has made 45 appearances for the club.
Section Paloise: J Maddocks, T Carol, E Roudil, J Vatubua, A Tuimaba, J Simmonds, D Robson, Fisi’ihoi, Y Delhommel, S Tokolahi, G Ducat, L Tagitagivalu, M Puech (C), T Hamonou, S Zegueur. Replacements: L Rey, H Parrou, G Papidze, S Cummins, Fe Metz, R Hewat, T Daubagna, A Desperes.
Connacht: T O’Halloran, S Bolton, D Hawkshaw, B Aki, S Jennings, J Carty (C), C Blade, D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, J Joyce, N Murray, C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, J Butler. Replacements: E de Buitléar, J Duggan, S Illo, D Murray, C Oliver, M Devine, JJ Hanrahan, T Farrell.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy).
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